Wednesday, March 25, 2015

USNA Announces New Commandant of Midshipmen

Col. Stephen E. Liszewski was recently selected to be the 86th Commandant of Midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. He is an alumnus of the Naval Academy Class of 1990.

Similar to the Dean of Students at a civilian university, the Commandant is responsible for the day-to-day conduct, military training and professional development of more than 4,400 midshipmen. Liszewski will replace the current Commandant, Capt. Bill Byrne, who will depart later this summer after a successful two-year tour.

Liszewski is only the second Marine Corps officer to hold the position as U.S. Naval Academy Commandant. He currently serves as the Commandant of the Marine Corps Military Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City.

“I am honored and excited to join the dedicated team at the Naval Academy,” said Liszewski. “This really is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I look forward to working with the incredibly talented men and women of the Brigade of Midshipmen and help them become leaders of character for the naval service and the nation.”

Liszewski was born in Annapolis, Md., while his father served as a librarian at the Naval Academy. He was later raised in nearby Gaithersburg, Md. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in history. After being commissioned in the Marine Corps, Liszewski attended The Basic School in Quantico, Va., and trained as a Marine artillery officer at Ft. Sill, Okla.

Liszewski’s first tour in the operating forces was with 1st Battalion, 12th Marines and the 3rd Marine Regiment in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. As a captain, he served with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit and later commanded Battery E, 2nd Battalion, 11th Marines at Camp Pendleton, Calf. from 1998 to 2000.

He went on to command 1st Battalion, 12th Marines from 2006 to 2008 and led the battalion to Al Anbar Province, Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2012, he deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan with I Marine Expeditionary Force in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. From 2012 to 2014, he commanded the 11th Marine Regiment in the 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, Calf.

His decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal, and various unit and service awards.

He is an honor graduate of the Amphibious Warfare School and a distinguished graduate of The Australian Command and Staff College. He graduated with highest distinction from the U.S. Naval War College and has earned master’s degrees in management from the University of Canberra, Australia and in national security studies from the U.S. Naval War College.